Carried out non-recent child sex offences on.

Isle of Wight Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Child Sex Offences

David Gower, 70, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for non-recent child sex offences on the Isle of Wight. Gower was found guilty of indecently assaulting two girls, aged 8 and 12 at the time of the offences, between January 2000 and December 2001.

The offences occurred at the victims' home in Ryde, where Gower would visit on a regular basis. The girls reported the incidents to police in September 2022.

Gower, of Warwick Street in Ryde, was arrested and charged with five counts of indecent assault. During his arrest, officers discovered indecent hand-drawn images of children in his home, leading to an additional charge of possession of a prohibited image of a child.

Gower pleaded guilty to all charges at Isle of Wight Magistrates' Court on September 27th, 2022. He was ordered to sign on to the Sex Offender's Register within 72 hours, but failed to do so. This led to further charges of failing to comply with Sex Offender Register notification requirements and possession of a knife in a public place.

At the Crown Court on November 30th, 2022, Gower was sentenced to 15 years in prison with a two-year extended licence period.

Investigating officer PC Mark Thomas said, "Gower completely shattered the trust of these two girls, manipulating them into situations where he could abuse them. His actions were utterly appalling, and he is now rightfully where he belongs – in prison. I want to commend the bravery of these two women, who were just children at the time of these awful offences. Because of their courage, a dangerous man is now off the streets."